The good news is that this is the earliest I've finished a draft for the Paladin League series since I began writing it. The bad news? It needs a lot more revision work done than the previous versions. Usually, I finish and send it to my editor immediately. Not this time.
So while I get to enjoy some time off for the holidays, I'll be attacking it again right after the New Year.
What are my first steps once I begin revising?
First up will be a complete re-read from start to finish. I won't do much (if anything) to the manuscript while I do this. Instead, I'll have a notebook on the desk beside me and make notes.
I already have a partial list of plot threads I inadvertently dropped. (Oops!) I remembered the ones I wrote down as I neared the end of the book, but I didn't want to start revising anything this close to the finish line. Once I have the complete list, then it's decision time. Do I cut the plot thread entirely or do I do the necessary revisions to make it a legitimate plot thread?
My impressions of the story--without rereading it yet--is that my pacing is off. That's something I will definitely be monitoring as I re-read. Is the pacing really off or is that just in my head? The book came in super long, which might be coloring my perception. Is the book just longer than the others?
It might just be wordy. Seriously. I think "out loud" as I write, so there's usually a fair amount of cutting that gets done anyway because readers do not need to see me vomit all over the page. Like I blogged about before, just because the characters are sharing stuff, doesn't mean anyone except me needs to see/know it.
Anyway, having the first draft done is a huge celebration moment for me and I'm going to enjoy the downtime without obsessing over revisions. January 2nd is early enough for the work to begin.
